Founder of Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Company, Peter Capolino.

We talk about Peter’s family and its relationship to sports. Peter’s father, Sisto – later renamed James, by original founders, Frank Mitchell and Charles Ness – began work with Mitchell & Ness (1917), at just 13 years of age. In the early 1950s, Sisto purchased the business, bringing Peter into the fold.

Peter describes the meticulous research conducted, allowing Mitchell & Ness to produce such high quality, throwback uniforms. Countless hours were spent, combing through archival newspapers, visiting libraries, museums and numerous sporting halls of fame. We discuss the advances in technology and its impact on how the business manufactured apparel.

In 1998, Peter was asked to recreate the history of the NBA (Hardwood Classics), as he had done with MLB’s Cooperstown Collection. Peter discusses how he obtained licences for each professional league (including the NFL and NHL), allowing him to produce historically-accurate uniforms.

Just before the turn of the millennium, Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Company’s profile exploded, thanks is large part to links with hip-hop and rap artists. Peter shares some stories about Big Boi and André 3000 (Outkast), plus the classic background behind the improbable link between one of his favorite footballers, Sammy Baugh, and Jay Z.

Peter also elaborates on the deal he struck with Michael Jordan, getting the licence and exclusive rights to reproduce MJ’s Chicago Bulls jerseys.

Peter sold Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Company to Adidas, in 2008 – continuing to work for them, a further four years – and still consults with the company today. This conversation is a must-listen for fans of any major-league sport.

Rick discusses his first sporting love of baseball – he talks fondly of his hero – the reason behind his choice to wear the iconic jersey number 24. Incredibly, as a high-school senior, Rick almost gave up on his future Hall of Fame career, due in large-part to his then-coach.

We chat about the origins of his unique, underhanded free-throw shooting technique and its impact on his overall game. Rick talks about his passion for basketball and his immense desire to win. We talk about his outstanding college career at the University of Miami and how it prepared him to make an instant impact at the next level. We discuss the 1965 NBA Draft, where Rick was one of 10 future All-Stars selected.

We cover Rick’s NBA Rookie of the Year triumph, playing against Wilt Chamberlain in the 1967 NBA Finals and Barry’s decision to join the fledgling ABA (he won the 1969 ABA Championship) for its inaugural season. Rick talks candidly about being forced to sit out the entire 1968 season, when he was arguably in the prime of his career. We chat about his All-Star Game memories (eight in the NBA, four in the ABA) and his 1975 NBA Championship glory.

We talk about Rick’s last two NBA seasons in Houston and how injury prematurely halted his career; interestingly, an NBA rule-change possibly denied Rick’s plan to join the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers.

Rick discusses his Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement, his foray into coaching (1990s) and the opportunities missed at NBA level. We round out the conversation, learning about Rick’s current-day interests, including a love of fly fishing and his business pursuits.

We run the gamut of discussion topics that shed light on the competitive nature of a true basketball great.

Jeff discusses his early sporting life and the major growth-spurt that coincided with his decision to focus on basketball. He was named High School All-American in the same class as Magic Johnson and was heavily recruited across the country. We chat about his decision to remain in New York and commit to Iona College, led by future luminary, Jim Valvano.

Jeff opens up about the 1980 NBA Draft and why he opted to head overseas and play in Spain, before commencing his rookie season in 1982. We talk about Jeff’s excellent first three full seasons, that resulted in NBA All-Star selections in 1984 and 1985. Jeff recalls Michael Jordan’s debut game in the NBA and the rude awakening that MJ would receive on his first dunk attempt in Chicago Stadium.

We chat about the impact of the Showtime Lakers and Boston’s Big Three, plus, the onset of injury issues that began to halt Jeff’s career. We also talk about one of the most memorable trades in NBA history; the Bullets’ decision to trade Jeff to Philadelphia, in exchange for Moses Malone. Jeff details his (first) retirement from the NBA in 1987 and how he went back to college to complete his degree, before making his remarkable comeback attempt in the 1992 season.

We also learn about the successes of Jeff’s coaching career, that are also mixed with trials and tribulations you need to hear to fully comprehend. Our conversation covers a broad-range of interesting topics and is an open and engaging look at one of basketball’s most underrated – in my opinion – careers, ever.

Executive Producer of the TV series, Courtside Jones – Talani Goodson. We talk about New York’s culture of basketball and discuss 1980s and 1990s impact players, particularly from the Tri-State area. Talani recalls a fantastic story about meeting Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, in the hours following their 1991 NBA Championship win. We chat about his great new TV series, his interviewing style and how he has positioned the show to feature a unique blend of guests, location and music.